Semester in Los Angeles

Michael Donovan

Lecturer, "Careers in Entertainment: Pursuing an Acting Career"

Mr. Donovan casts for film, theatre, television and commercials. He is a three-time winner of the Casting Society of America's Artios award, given for Outstanding Achievement in Casting. He has cast over 45 feature films, nine television series, countless theatrical productions and well over 1,200 commercials. As the resident casting director for the renown Pasadena Playhouse, He has cast such productions as FENCES starring Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett, and Orlando Jones; the world premiere, pre-Broadway production of SISTER ACT; ORSON’S SHADOW starring Bruce McGill and Sharon Lawrence; RAY CHARLES LIVE starring Brandon Victor Dixon; and LOOPED starring Valerie Harper and Chad Allen. For The Hollywood Bowl, Mr. Donovan cast SOUTH PACIFIC starring Reba McEntire & Brian Stokes Mitchell and AMADEUS starring Neil Patrick Harris, Michael York & Kimberly Williams-Paisley. For Shakespeare Festival/LA, he cast A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM starring Tom Hanks, Geoffrey Rush, Robe Lowe, Kate Hudson, and Christina Applegate, for which he won a C.S.A. Artios Award for Outstanding Casting, and AS YOU LIKE IT starring Anthony Hopkins, Benjamin Bratt, Tom Hanks, Ray Romano, Martin Sheen and Carla Gugino, also earning him an Artios Award for Outstanding Casting. For the Reprise! Theater Company, he cast productions of ZORBA and SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE. Other theater casting credits include I REMEMBER YOU at the Falcon Theater starring Tony Danza; THE ICE-BREAKER at Laguna Playhouse; AIDA and BUDDY for the Theater League National Tours; THE MEMORY OF WATER for Ensemble Theater Company starring Stephanie Zimbalist; the world premiere of THE MOVEMENT REVISTED with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Disney Concert Hall; the world premiere adaption of A PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY and LIGHT at The Theater at Boston Court; RAISIN, AMY’S VIEW, A SERVANT TO TWO MASTERS and DINAH WAS at I.C.T. Long Beach earning him an Artios Award nomination for Outstanding Casting; GRAND HOTEL at The Colony Theater; the world premiere adaption of HIPPOLYTOS at the Getty Museum; the national tour of WALKING WITH DINOSAURS; the world premieres of GREAT EXPECTATIONS-THE MUSICAL and JESUS’ KID BROTHER at the Hudson Mainstage; the world premiere of NORMAN’S ARK at Ford Amphitheater; and the world premiere of THE CATHOLIC GIRL’S GUIDE TO LOSING YOUR VIRGINITY at The Pico Playhouse.

Mr. Donovan has also cast over 45 motion pictures including HOT TAMALE starring Jason Priestly and Carmen Electra; COMEDY HELL starring Eric Roberts; TEDDY BEAR’S PICNIC starring Michael McKean, Fred Willard, Ming-Na, Howard Hesseman, George Wendt, and Harry Shearer; THE ROSE TECHNIQUE starring JoBeth Williams and Sally Kirkland; and DEVIOUS BEINGS starring Kevin Connolly and Jerry Doyle. On television, he has cast nine television series including THE JERSEY for the Disney Channel; the PBS Peabody Award Winner THE EDDIE FILES; BAILEY KIPPER’S P.O.V. for CBS; BEAKMAN’S WORLD for CBS; and FUDGE For ABC. He has also cast a number of television movies including the Emmy-nominated THE FLIGHT THAT FOUGHT BACK for The Discovery Channel; PROBLEM CHILD 3 for NBC; and FUDGE-A-MANIA for ABC starring Shirley Knight, Darren McGavin Florence Henderson and Alex Karras. He has also cast well over 1200 commercials.